The museum contains 34 authentic relocated buildings filled with over 60,000 artifacts that depict many of the economic and social aspects of life in a gold or silver mining town in Colorado in the late 19th century. Two of the buildings, the South Park Brewery and the Summer Saloon, are listed in the National Register of Historic Places

The museum was opened in 1959 after two years of preparatory work by the South Park Historical Foundation. The museum is open daily from mid-May to mid-October.